The Houston Texans are still navigating the 2025 season without Pro Bowl running back Joe Mixon’s services, and the former Cincinnati Bengals star weighed in yet again.
This time, it comes after the Texans’ 16-13 win over the Tennessee Titans, during a game in which they were not only missing Mixon but also quarterback C.J. Stroud. The latter is expected to return this season, possibly as soon as next week.
For Mixon, though, the future remains uncertain.
Joe Mixon Chimes In After Texans’ Win
GettyJoe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans looks on after facing the Los Angles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
The Texans needed another late surge – and a game-winning field goal – to knock off the Titans, with Davis Mills guiding the offense down the field in crunch time. It was needed because the Texans’ backfield missed Mixon.
Rookie fourth-round pick Woody Marks started and led the backfield in touches, tallying 44 yards on 18 carries. Nick Chubb had three carries for 18 yards. Even still, the Texans won.
“W,” Mixon posted on X on November 16.
Mixon was supposed to be a key part of the Texans’ offense, providing a dual threat, capable of being a safety valve for Stroud in the passing game just as much as a weapon to bleed the clock late in close contests.
Mixon rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024. He tacked on a 36-309-1 line as a pass-catcher.
Mixon also has a history of foot injuries, and the Texans are paying the price.
Texans ‘Not Expecting’ Joe Mixon to Return
GettyJoe Mixon #28 of the Houston Texans is introduced before facing the Los Angeles Chargers in the AFC Wild Card Playoffs.
Mixon has remained engaged with the Texans’ on-field activities, sharing multiple messages during and after games. He also appeared at a private event with Texans teammate and wide receiver Tank Dell.
However, that may be as much participation as the Texans expect from the former No. 48 overall pick of the 2017 draft this season.
“The Texans’ backfield isn’t expecting a return from Pro Bowl runner Joe Mixon,” KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson wrote on November 13, noting the veteran “remains on the non-football injury list with a ‘tough and complicated’ foot and ankle injury, per sources, that may sideline him for the entire season.”
Mixon is notably signed through 2026 on a three-year, $19.7 million contract.
He could find himself as an unexpected cut candidate, though. That is, if he is unable to get healthy by the next season.
“If he’s not [healthy], I’d imagine general manager Nick Caserio would consider moving on from him to save money,” The Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan M. Alexander wrote on November 12. “Releasing him could save them $8.5 million for the 2026 season, according to Over the Cap. None of his 2026 salary is guaranteed.”
All Eyes on Texans GM Nick Caserio
GettyHouston Texans general manager Nick Caserio looks on before a game against the Chicago Bears.
Texans general manager Nick Caserio set a rough estimated timeline for an update on Mixon’s status. That has come and gone. Still, there has been no substantial information from the organization about the 29-year-old playmaker.
Some fans have pointed back to Caserio’s “three, four”-week timeline from October, while another suggested the executive will have failed in his duties if Mixon misses the entire season.
“I think, probably over the next few weeks, we’ll probably have a better idea. He’s making progress. So, I wouldn’t put a particular timetable on it,” Caserio told Texans beat reporters on October 7. “Kind of see how he’s progressing. But taking one day at a time. But I think once we kind of get to that period, probably have a better sense of which way it’s going to go for the duration of the year.”
However, the lack of details, updates, or Mixon around the team is ominous.
“All of those things would lead me to believe that Mixon has a very serious injury to either his foot or ankle,” Alexander wrote in October. “One league source I spoke to a month ago had doubts about whether he’ll return this season. And those doubts have not changed. There was a glimmer of hope that his foot would respond to treatment and change the prognosis.
“Of all the people I’ve spoken with about this, there is no one who has told me they expect him to return this season. And if he was, someone would tell me.”
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